Valheru
Valheru, The Dragon Lords, were the first race on Midkemia, and among the most powerful in the known universe. Their nature was that of the fabric of the universe. They rode on the backs of great dragons, travelling throughout the cosmos in search of plunder. Arrogantly presuming themselves to be gods, they also bred the Elves as creatures to serve them. From the moment they are born the Valheru must fight for survival. As soon as they are born they are taken by Moredhel midwives from their mother and handed over to an Eledhel runner who takes the infant and finds a secluded spot in which to leave the child. They are born aware and with each passing moment they gain a greater understanding of the world around them. Within a summer’s span they are able to run down and kill deer with a stunning mindblast. The only creatures they need fear are others of their own kind. As a result of their wanton acts of destruction throughout the universe, energy was released from what was once mighty civilizations. Reaching a critical point, these energies formed a new pantheon of gods. While the new gods strove among themselves, the Valheru, exhorted by Draken-Korin, attempted to overthrow the new order of gods. Ashen-Shugar was the only Dragon Lord to disapprove of his plan, but he did nothing but watch as the other Dragon Lords rose to battle the gods. Ashen-Shugar, the most powerful of the Valheru, felt something "alien" to his kind, a desire to protect the world, and the presence of Tomas Megarson via the magics of Macros the Black. With the coming of the new gods Ashen Shugar felt himself become alien to the new order, as if reality rejected his nature and he fell into a torpor, sleeping in his mountain on his throne many ages after the rest of the Valheru had faded from the world. Upon his death his essence became infused in his armor so that Tomas could replace him as guardian of Midkemia. Space and time became warped as the Valheru battled the gods in the time known as the Chaos Wars. Of 107 gods, only sixteen survived, but the Valheru were utterly defeated. With the exception of Ashen-Shugar, the Valheru were cast away into another dimension to prevent them from returning to their homeworld, Midkemia. Their combined essences became a single entity known by the Tsurani as "The Enemy". In its rampage to return to Midkemia, it destroyed many worlds, including those of the civilizations that would later become the Empire of Tsuranuanni. Known Valheru *Ashen-Shugar - Lord of the Eagle's Reaches; the most powerful Valheru; son of Hali-Marmora; father and husband to Alma-Lodaka; father of Draken-Korin; the last of the Valheru; reincarnated in the body of Tomas Megarson, son of Megar and Magya of Crydee, Prince Consort of Queen Aglaranna and Warleader of Elvendar, father of Calis. *Draken-Korin - Lord of Tigers, son of Ashen-Shugar and Alma-Lodaka, slain by Ashen-Shugar at the end of the Chaos Wars; returned briefly to activate the Lifestone but was slain again by Tomas/Ashen-Shugar. *Alma-Lodaka - the Emerald Queen of Serpents; daughter and wife of Ashen-Shugar; mother of Draken-Korin; nearly reincarnated in a body of Lady Clovis, also known as Jorna, wife of Nakor then of Macros, mother of Miranda by Macros. *Algon-Kokoon - Tyrant of Wind Valley, slain by Ashen-Shugar. An artifact, known as the "Horn of Algon-Kokoon", can be used to summon two Beasthounds to aid the user in battle. *Alrin-Stolda - Monarch of the Black Lake *Hali-Marmora - Mother of Ashen-Shugar; slain by Ashen-Shugar *Lowris-Takara - King of Bats; Ashen-Shugar's first Dragon Lord kill *Lyron-Baktos - Lord of the Dragons; whose talisman was used to incapacitate the Oracle of Aal *Kindo-Raber - Master of Serpents; torn apart by the Dasati *Tomas Megarson was born a kitchen boy in Castle Crydee. Due to the manipulations of the sorcerer Macros the Black, he received a gift of white and gold armor and a golden sword from the dragon Rhuagh and merged with the essence of the long-dead Dragon Lord, Ashen-Shugar, to be a weapon to defend against the outworld invaders. For a while, the newly melded being was consumed by the battle-madness of the Valheru, before the compassion of a human boy won through, and Tomas the human mastered the powers of a Dragon Lord. While the elves, whom he sought refuge with, feared dominion from the Dragon Lord, Tomas assuaged their fears, becoming merely the prince consort of their Queen Aglaranna. While Tomas gained the full might of Ashen-Shugar, he eventually lost much of this power during the final events of the second war with the Tsurani, this time teaming with the Great Ones to overthrow an ancient dark force involving several powerful Moredhel teaming with Serpent priests to allow the return of the Valheru, whom they still considered their masters and gods. Tomas still stands as one of the most powerful people in Midkemia, with few able to match him. Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the human-turned-Valheru and the Elf Queen conceived a child possessing the heritage of all three races. Calis, son of Tomas and Aglaranna, would be unique throughout the world, neither human nor elf. He would also be instrumental during the Serpentwar invasion, first by creating the Crimson Eagles military commandos, then later dismantling a powerful artifact capable of draining all life in the world. Finally accepting his lot in fate, Calis settled down in Elvandar with a widowed elf, also adopting twins who were refugees from the recent war. Category:Races